Navbar

Sunday, December 21, 2014

In all the excitement of the holidays and Quinn's birthday, I forgot to share the most exciting news of all: #3 is a girl! More details to come, but in the mean time rest assured that we are over the moon, despite my still-frequent bouts of nausea and recently-developed thunder thighs. Thanks, little miss. I still love you.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Today my baby turns two years old. Two. And it's with bittersweet emotion that I type those words; bitter that the days are slipping by too quickly, sweet because there was once a time when we weren't sure we'd be celebrating two years with Quinn. There were so many "what ifs" and "how longs" in those early days before he arrived, and when he got here, I couldn't stop holding him. Now he's too busy to stop and be held. And for that I am thankful.

But there's something that happens when you raise a child with special needs that I try so hard to avoid. In fact, I hardly admit to myself that I'm doing it, but today it feels like it's very much at the forefront of my mind.

I compare.

I compare him to other kids his age. I compare him to his brother. I compare him to other children with Down syndrome. It's not fair, I know. But I do it anyway.

Here's Atticus on his second birthday. He's standing on a chair next to his cupcake. He blew the
candle out all by himself and even sang the words to "Happy Birthday." I remember how he carefully licked the icing from his cupcake and then peeled the liner away to take little bites before he tore from the table toward his pile of presents, impatiently awaiting permission to rip each one open. When he did, he thanked the giver before turning to the next one. These were gifts like toy golf clubs and remote-control cars, art supplies and soccer balls. In other words, typical gifts for a typical two-year-old. And I was blissfully unaware that the celebration would ever be different.

Yesterday I brought cupcakes to Quinn's class to help celebrate his special day. We had so much fun stuffing sugar-laden icing into our mouths and singing "Happy Birthday." But I also can't help but feel a twinge of sadness that Quinn really didn't know it was his birthday. He couldn't walk to the sink to wash the chocolate from his face without someone's help. He couldn't sing the words to the songs. Instead of daintily dissecting his cupcake, he shoved the whole thing, wrapper and all, into his mouth. To be honest, it looked more like a first birthday than a second one. And when we open presents this weekend, the gifts will be toys from the baby aisle that light up and whir and sing songs.

Monday, December 1, 2014

It's hard to believe it, especially since Brian and I were taking steps to avoid this very circumstance, but it seems I am knocked up again. Surprise! Trust me, we're just as shocked as you are. Yes, we know how these things happen. Yes, we also know how small our house is, how full our schedules are, and how crazy our lives will be with three kids under the age of 5. I spent a good two weeks crying fat, irrational, hormonal tears over these realizations (Brian, on the other hand, was trying to hide just how over-the-moon he was about this recent development, likely to avoid what typically follows hormonal tears: hormonal yelling and demands for odd combinations of food from across town at 3am). Now that the news has had a chance to sink in, I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I will soon have a whole litter of children. At least they're cute.

This isn't to say that I didn't want another child eventually. Brian and I have talked at length about how we weren't finished, but we didn't intend to even consider the possibility of maybe trying for a third for at least another few years. Ideally, both boys would be out of preschool (and the tuition that comes with it) and we'd be more able to focus our attention on a newborn. Best laid plans, I suppose. And I can't help but feel terribly guilty that I have friends who are trying desperately to get pregnant and I can't NOT get pregnant. It just seems unfair. But also a good reminder that a baby is a blessing.

This particular pregnancy is so different from my first two. First, I'm pretty darn sick this round. I remember bouts of nausea with Atticus and Quinn, but nothing like this. Of course, this has everyone speculating girl, but I don't want to get my hopes up there. I would LOVE a girl, especially since this is definitely my last, but I kind of resigned myself to the idea that I would never escape a house full of testosterone and penises. So while a girl would be most welcome, I'm anticipating another boy. Brian's paternal grandmother had six boys because she kept trying for a girl. The last two were twins and she understandably gave up.

Second, I'm remarkably calm this time around. Since Atticus was my first, I naturally worried about every little thing. I avoided soft cheeses, deli meat, nail salons, and hot showers. I panicked if I didn't feel him move every few hours and read every baby book obsessively. With Quinn, I worried about some pretty serious and life-altering stuff following his diagnosis because our massive medical team insisted we should. So it stands to reason that I would worry that things would go wrong this time, but I haven't. What will be, will be. And even though we've done genetic testing to verify that all is going as expected (results should be in any day and I'm anxious for both what they'll tell me about this little one's health, and also the sex...the wait is interminable), we're pretty even-keeled about the whole process. It's odd. And maybe it's because we had the whole book of prenatal problems thrown at us last round and survived that we figure we can take what comes our way this time.

Third, I'm already showing, have a face full of acne, have gained a whole mess of weight in my hips, and cannot stay awake past 8pm. I was tired with the first two, but this kind of exhaustion takes on a whole new meaning. Exercise is supposed to help give me energy, but the thought of doing any kind of manual labor makes me want to vomit. So I'm in a holding pattern of first trimester misery, even though I'm already 14 weeks along and should be over it by now. Last week I did have entire stretches of time when I didn't want to puke all over everything, but then I smelled what the neighbors six houses down were cooking and BLEH.

All in all, we're taking this news in stride. We'll somehow manage to survive this pregnancy, which I do not do well. Seriously, who are these women who actually enjoy being pregnant? It's so miserably uncomfortable and stressful and the one thing that can ease said stress is one of the many things I can't have. So I turn to food and gain 40 pounds and complain about how fat I got and WHY can't I stop eating? My poor husband...

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

It's been a while since my last post and I've actually received a few emails asking what gives. Well, life gives, it seems. Not that things are going poorly, by any means, but new school schedules just mean transitions and adjustments, none of which are necessarily easy. But now that we're in the swing of things, it's starting to go a bit smoother. Juggling the therapies, pick-up times, and occasional illnesses has always been tricky with a full-time job, and this school year is no exception. But I'm lucky to have a great job with an understanding administration that makes it possible for me to keep working, a luxury that I refuse to take for granted. And even though one of my 10th graders just made a joke about poop that was alarmingly similar to the one Atticus made just last week, I really do love my kids and my job enough to work my butt off and balance them both. So far, so good!

Quinn and Atticus are doing great and loving their new school almost as much as I am. I've seen a vast improvement in not only their cognition and development, but in their general desire to learn. Quinn is walking with the help of push toys and cruising on furniture with ease. It's only a matter of time before he lets go and starts walking independently. He's learning more signs everyday and using them without prompting from us and starting to repeat sounds and words. He still has a way to go, but we're in the process of finding new private therapists to reinforce this development outside of school. Other things, like drinking from a straw and holding a toy phone to his ear, activities that most parents of toddlers take for granted, are starting to emerge with the help of occupational therapy (and teachers with more patience than rocks. I can't even imagine giving 8 toddlers open cups of milk at lunch time, especially since Quinn is prone to throwing said cup across the room).

Atticus is currently working on sight-reading and can't ride in the car without spotting words and letters that he knows. Our dinner table sounds like a quiz show: "Pumpkin does start with P! What else starts with that letter? If I had 4 pumpkins and gave two to you, how many would I have left?" Pumpkins are big right now, as are ghosts, candy, and pirate costumes, the combination of which makes for a rousing game of make-believe that leaves my head throbbing from the noise, but I digress. He's also writing his name, doing simple math, and coming up with creative solutions to his problems in a way that makes me confident in his future success. Of course, how he'll reach that success is a topic of lengthy discussion in our house...

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Brian and I have made no secret about our Agnosticism. We
are both former Catholics who spent some time considering our own religious
paths independently, only to come to similar conclusions around the time we met
in college. Our beliefs are pretty simple in that we refuse to define them. We
are not godless, so to speak; I believe that there is likely some greater force
in this world. But I struggle in giving this force an identity. And despite
what some may doubt to be true, I am spiritually full.

Interestingly enough, I teach in a very conservative and
religious community. My students are church-goers and take pride in their
faith. And I respect this. While it’s not what I believe, I admire the power of
their convictions and the people they are as a result of their religious
upbringing. These kids are honest, thoughtful, selfless, and hard-working. They
are true Christians. They are, for all intents and purposes, everything I want
my children to become.

So when Atticus mentioned Jesus the other day, I realized it’s
time to start thinking about faith and its role in my boys’ upbringing. I will
not force them to ascribe to a certain way of religious thinking, but I will
encourage them to be spiritually full. In other words, I don’t really care what
they choose to believe so long as they’re thinking about it, questioning it,
and ascribing to a system of beliefs that honors kindness, empathy, and
compassion for those around them. We don’t know exactly what that’s going to
look like yet; we’re still ironing out the kinks. But we do know that a few
tenets that will guide us along the way:

1. Religious Education

The first step towards respect is understanding. In college,
I was in the middle of a civil, yet somewhat heated debate with my
devoutly-Baptist friend. When I asked him why he was so sure his faith was the
right one and not, say, Islam, he plainly told me “I don’t need to know about
that because it isn’t the true path to God.” I can’t abide cyclical reasoning
and at that moment I ended the conversation. But I continued to be amazed by
how many religiously righteous people new next-to-nothing about faiths other
than their own. It astounded me. So my children’s spiritual education will
involve visits to temples, mosques, churches, and other houses of worship. They
will learn how people all over the world choose to honor their god(s), not just
those who live in our community. I wish more young people took the time to explore other religions; those who acknowledge and respect differing outlooks are the peace-makers, the problem-solvers, and the pioneers.

2. A Commitment to service

One of the noblest aspects of organized religion is their
commitment to service to those in need. Homeless shelters, food and clothing
drives, and soup kitchens are often the work of religious groups because most
religions preach the need for selflessness and service. My children will learn
the value of self-sacrifice in an effort to help those less fortunate, and we
will volunteer both our time and material possessions to see these lessons through.
Because developing empathy and helping those in need is good for the soul and society.

3. Open dialogue

I was always told to avoid conversations about money,
politics, and religion at the dinner table because I could never change a
person’s mind on any of those topics. And for the most part, I agree. I’m not
going to debate the Book of Revelations with my colleagues over lunch, but I do
want my children to feel free to ask questions. I want to erase the notion that religion is a taboo discussion, especially if it's conducted with a level of mutual respect. I want them to open their minds to the many possibilities. And
if they choose to have faith in a certain dogma after exhausting every query,
then so be it. I respect that. But to believe in something without questioning
and searching for truth is not really believing in much at all. It’s apathy. The
questions might never be answered in absolutes. Heck, they might not be answered at all, but at least they’re being
considered.

4. Connecting with nature

With our over-connected world and the constant onslaught of
flashing, buzzing solicitation, it’s easy to lose one’s sense of inner peace. I
am a firm believer in the power of nature. In fact, I might even argue that
nature IS my religion. So taking the time to literally smell the roses and find
my inner dialogue is an important part of my spiritual health. I’m not
anti-technology. My kids watch TV. We live in the smoggy inner-city and drive
our SUV to work and school every day. But I also instill in my children the idea that nature has power. It is a reminder of where we came from
and where we are headed. So we need to take time to be outside, walk to the
park, hike in the mountains, camp at the lake, swim in the ocean. It’s when we
realize just how small we are in this vastness of nature that we can truly
begin to consider why we’re here in the first place.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

I am writing this post at the ungodly hour of 5am from the lumpy armchair next to Quinn's hospital bed. Our little trooper just underwent hand surgery to release the syndactyly (fused fingers) on his right hand. While it was a relatively routine procedure, his breathing and oxygen levels are often a cause for concern, so the doctors made a last-minute decision to keep him overnight and observe his progress. True to form, he's surprised us all and spent most of the night either smiling or sleeping. Since I've been here since 7am yesterday morning, I haven't done much of either.

newborn Quinn's adorable little fingers.

The story of Quinn's syndactyly is one of my favorites. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while likely remember the chaos surrounding Quinn's birth. The Mighty was very early and arrived quickly; so quickly, in fact, that Brian almost missed it. Due to his prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis and a number of other concerning findings during my closely-monitored pregnancy, an entire NICU team was on hand in the delivery room. When Quinn came screaming into this world, he was quickly passed to the head nurse for a look over. He was, after all, early, and babies with Down syndrome often have problems with their lungs, heart, or bowels that go unnoticed until birth. Brian and I were waiting patiently but nervously for the nurse to let us know how our little guy was doing. It seemed like ages before she turned to us with a very serious look on her face: "I want to tell you what I'm seeing," she said gravely. I swear the patients three floors below us could hear our sharp intake of breath. My mind was spinning in those seconds regarding all the things she could tell us: that he was in heart failure or barely breathing or that his lungs formed outside of his chest.

"His middle fingers are fused on his right hand."

"That's IT?!" we said together. We can do this. Hell, as die-hard Texas Longhorn fans, we were pleased to see he was born with his horns up! Those fingers became a symbol for me of all the things that could have been wrong, but weren't. Of all the things that doctors and professionals would warn me might happen. All the worst-case scenarios we'll face over the years. Because Quinn has Down syndrome, many people in this world will expect him to be a burden medically, physically, and intellectually. It was like Quinn was born with not one, but two middle fingers in the air, challenging anyone to stereotype him or his abilities.

recovering

Of course, despite my love for those fingers, the right course of action was to give him full mobility in his right hand. Five fingers are better for fine motor skills than four and, even though the surgery and 6-week recovery will be tough on all of us, it was the right thing to do. And with the help of Quinn's incredible Grandma Cathy, who is a physical therapist at Shriner's Hospital in Houston, we had one of the foremost hand specialists in the country perform the procedure. Our guy was in good hands (pun intended) and is recovering well.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

As a teacher, I begin every summer with a list of goals to accomplish. Some are complex, while others, like a quick blog post, are simple. And before I know it, I'm watching the end of summer approach at a break-necking pace without having done much besides building Legos with Atticus in my pajamas. Even at naptime, I struggle to simply reheat my last cup of coffee for the fourth time and check my email. That said, there are a few developments that deserve mention here, so here's my half-assed attempt at productivity.

I. Vacation:

Every other Christmas, my family decides to forgo gift-giving and spend our money on a vacation instead, because experience and togetherness beat stuff any day of the year, but this is especially true at Christmas. This year, we decided to head to Jackson Hole, WY over the summer to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. And let me bluntly say that it. was. awesome. Surreal, even. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves instead of driveling on:

II. Quinn:

Quinn's progress the past few months has left me speechless. Gone is the baby I knew. He is scooting faster than I can catch him, pulling himself to stand, and even saying a few words. I'm seeing his little personality blossom and it's incredibly fun to watch. He's social, happy, and dangerously curious. And, just like his mother brother, he has a tendency to get comically frustrated over seemingly insignificant things. But that's pretty normal for his age as he learns to manipulate the world around him.

He's scheduled for surgery in a few weeks at Shriner's Hospital here in Houston to separate his fused middle fingers on his right hand. While we've always loved that he was born with his "horns up" (hook 'em), full dexterity is imperative these next few years as he further develops his fine motor skills. The surgery is pretty straight-forward, but he'll be in a full cast for two months as he heals from the procedure. We'll keep you posted on that front.

III. Atticus

Atticus turned four in June and, like many four-year-olds, he wants to either a). do everything by
himself when we're in a mad rush to walk out the door (have you ever watched a small child put his shoes on? It's an interminable process), or b). insist that I get him something the moment I sit down. But I can never meet all his needs in one trip. First it's juice. When I finallly fill his cup and get back to what I was doing, then he wants a snack, so I get it for him and sit back down. And then he needs help with his puzzle. And then he spilled the juice. On the couch. The carpet. His clothes. You get the point. I'm never sitting down for long.

But annoying habits aside, Atticus is increasingly inquisitive and imaginative.We're pushing letters and phonics right now to hopefully have him reading by the spring. We've instituted a "letter of the day" this summer in which we focus on a letter and activities that begin with that letter. For example, on "C Day" we baked cookies for our friends and neighbors because "C" is for "cookie" and "caring." It's been a fun way to pass the dog days of summer.

IV. Brian and Me

We're gradually eating our way through our new neighborhood and loving every minute of it. Granted, our wallets and waistlines need a break before they both bust, so we're spending the rest of the summer trying to finish house projects and visit with friends. We recognize these are our last relaxing moments before school starts in the fall, and this year promises to be the busiest yet with the boys' new school schedule and insanely high tuition. But these are the sacrifices we signed up for when we became parents, so we'll take it in stride.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

I'll be the first to admit, I was devastated upon receiving Quinn's diagnosis because I was harboring old stereotypes and misinformation about what Down syndrome meant. If you read the post I wrote immediately after our doctor made the call about Quinn's designer genes, you can see this clearly in my writing. I assumed my life would never be "normal" again. I assumed my child would be unable to perform even simple tasks like walking, speaking, or reading. And even though I pride myself in being an educated person with progressive thoughts, I was truly ignorant about the realities of Ds until Quinn came along. And I've learned that I was not alone in this attitude. I've had students ask me if Quinn will ever be able to learn, and strangers question whether or not I intend to "put him in a home" when he's older. Their innocent questions, while cringe-worthy, are steeped in the same ignorance I had before Down syndrome became a part of my reality, hence my desire to raise awareness about what Down syndrome really is. There's nothing like experience and education to put things into perspective. Down syndrome is no longer the scary thing I thought it would be two years ago and I see Quinn's similarities to other kids his age far more than I see his differences, and I hope that I've conveyed that message to you.

So I'm curious, in the time that I've been blogging and sharing my experiences in raising Quinn, has it changed your perspective on Down syndrome? Have I raised awareness about what my son is capable of becoming in the future? And is there anything that I should add to my posts to help you better understand what Ds is all about? I'd love to read your comments below!

Full disclosure: I totally stole this idea from a friend's Facebook profile, but I figure the more of us who ask, the more we'll know (cue shooting star graphic and inspirational jingle).

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

There have been some big changes here at the homestead, the most notable being our new home. When we moved to Houston in the summer of 2012, we were daunted by the task of buying a house in the city's crazy real estate market, a task made even more difficult by the fact that we were still living in Austin at the time. We were outbid on several offers, and lacked the resources or time to look in our most desired neighborhoods. Brian and I have always claimed that we could live in two places and two places only: the heart of the city or the middle of nowhere. Anything in between just wasn't for us. So we surprised ourselves when we bought a house in the West Houston suburbs where I grew up. It's a great little neighborhood and our house was a great little house, but despite its proximity to both our jobs, we weren't terribly happy there.

The Rise School of Houston

About six months later, we received Quinn's diagnosis and learned about The Rise School of Houston, a developmental preschool for children with Down syndrome. We took a tour when Quinn was very young and immediately put his name on the wait list; we had fallen in love with the school after our visit. With their integrated music, speech, and physical therapy, as well as a 3:1 student to teacher ratio and a gorgeous facility, we knew immediately that this was the best thing for Quinn's formative early years. The only problem (other than the insanely high tuition rate; that's a discussion for another post) is that it was on the opposite end of town from us, but ironically close to where we wanted to live when we first moved to Houston. Nevertheless, we went back and forth on ways to make it work from our home in the 'burbs without ever coming up with a solution. And after some reflection on where we were at the time, Brian and I made the decision to move to central Houston. We craved museums, coffee shops, and the charm of bungalow-lined streets. We missed seeing bicycles and independently-owned businesses. We missed the pulse and general weirdness that comes with an inner-city neighborhood and all its different perspectives. And, of course, it was the best decision for Quinn because it meant he could attend The Rise School.

We made an offer on the second house we saw, a darling 1928 Victorian bungalow on a corner lot in the an historic section of the Houston Heights, complete with a garage apartment (for extra income; our summer tenant moves in today) and a wrought-iron fence. We weren't exactly ready to move; we had just started looking to get an idea of the market, but just like when we toured the Rise School, we immediately fell in love with this house. When our offer was accepted, we rushed to get our other house listed. We were really lucky that the Houston real estate market was even hotter than when we bought the house less than two years prior, and we had two offers over asking price within three hours! Our agent said she had never seen anything like it.

Home

We officially moved in to our new home last weekend and are finally starting to feel settled. We absolutely adore living in the heart of the city and being so close to all the things we love. And we love the charm and quirkiness of an historic home. Our upstairs AC is on the fritz, our behemoth dog broke the flimsy single-paned glass in our dining room window, and the water pressure makes Atticus's squirt gun look like a fire hose. But, hey, we have a clawfoot tub, an old front porch, and four capable hands that aren't afraid to get a little dirty.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

My recent post in response to the troll has now gone viral and I am so unbelievably grateful to the many people who have sent messages and left comments of support and love from all over the world. I can't even begin to express my gratitude; I wish I had time to respond to all your messages personally, but due to the overwhelming influx of support, this is simply impossible. So instead, please accept this post as one giant group hug. You all make this world better with your positive outlooks and selfless willingness to reach out to our family. THANK YOU!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Since I started blogging about my son Quinn and his disability, I
knew this day would come. There’s no shortage of trolls on the internet who
hide behind the anonymity of a screen name with the intent to be cruel, and I’ve
seen their hostility many times before. In fact, just last week, in the wake of
a robbery at the Down Syndrome Association of Houston’s headquarters,
in which
$10,000 worth of technology was stolen, there was no shortage of
ignorant
comments on the news story reporting the incident. One user asked, “how
will
they learn to count to potato?” Another claimed that wasting computers
on “retards”
was stupid anyway and that the organization deserved to be robbed. These
comments, while offensive, simply serve to showcase people’s hate-fueled
ignorance and aren’t worth my time. I grimace when I read them, but
realize
there’s little to be done about such stupidity.

I
don't want to make assumptions about you, but I can guess from your
immaturity and ignorance that you know little about the helplessness that parents feel when caring for a
sick infant with respiratory issues. Quinn was sick last week, but
was feeling much better by Friday. We
decided to sit in the backyard and soak up the sun after school. There
aren't many things in this world more beautiful than seeing your
recently-ill child light up in a smile, and I snapped a
few photos to celebrate his recovery, then posted them on Instagram with
the hashtag “#downsyndrome.” I
love to look through those photos myself in my spare time because damn
if those
kiddos aren’t adorable. Of course, you feel differently because you found this photo and left a comment with one simple word:

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Today Stratford High School presented Shattered Dreams, in which students, faculty, and community volunteers come together
to simulate a drunk driving accident in order to raise awareness and prevent
these types of tragedies amongst teens. At 9:00am, all upper-classmen walked to
the street along campus where two cars were positioned to look as if they had
run into one another, both full of actual students. The “driver” of one car had
been drinking, while the “driver” of the other car had been texting. Over the
course of an hour, students and faculty witnessed fire, police, and EMS pull
students from the vehicles and strap them to gurneys, zip them into body bags,
or throw them in the back of police cars. One student was life-flighted to Ben
Taub Hospital. As the scene unfolded, friends and parents of the participants
were present to witness and grieve for the victims. A hearse came at the end to
take bodies to the morgue. Tonight, the student actors will fulfill their roles
further, as if they were truly involved in the accident. Parents will write
obituaries for their children. Those who died in the accident will actually
visit the morgue. And those students who were injured will spend the night in
the hospital, their families by their sides. The rest of the student body will
remain in class today, listening to the sound of a heartbeat flat-line over the
PA every 15 minutes to represent the rate at which someone dies in a drunk
driving accident in this country.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Today is the annual “Spread the Word to End the Word”
campaign, in which advocates of the special

needs community encourage people to
stop using the word “retard” and all its forms. It’s a day that means a great
deal to me now, but wasn’t even on my radar two years ago. It’s probably not on
yours either unless you know and love someone with intellectual delays. Even if
you do, you might glance at this issue and shrug your shoulders, thinking to
yourself that being overly-PC is more damaging to our society than the words we
use to insult others. I probably would have agreed with you a few years back,
to be honest. But there’s something about crossing to the other side that makes
it possible for me to see where you’re coming from, but also insist that you
consider a new place to go. Because using words that hurt others simply to be
funny, or even because you “forgot” to check your tongue, aren’t good enough
reasons to keep using them.

You see, when you use the word “retard” you insult an entire
group of people who are often unable to defend themselves. It’s probably why
the word has been slow to fall out of social acceptance, unlike words like
“ni**er” or “fa**ot.” The goal of the “Spread the Word to End the Word”
campaign is to make “retard” so offensive that even open-minded,
censorship-hating bloggers like myself have to type it with asterisks instead
of letters. But moreover, when you call someone a “retard,” you’re basically
telling them that they’ve chosen to do something stupid and therefore deserve
to be insulted. This word isn’t used with any positive connotation. It’s an
insult, a joke, and a way to point out others’ bad choices. But what you’re
really doing is taking away my son’s worth. You’re making him out to be your
scapegoat for comedy. And you’re making yourself less of my friend. That’s
harsh, I know. But if you can’t respect me and my son enough to stop using that
word, then you don’t deserve my friendship (said with Mama Bear claws fully and
unapologetically exposed).

Friday, February 21, 2014

Sometimes, life is hard. I think I’m luckier than most in
this world, and yet I still struggle with my own demons. I suppose that’s true
of all of us, but not everyone faces the crushing weight of depression when things
go wrong. For my friend (and anyone else) who is struggling to stay afloat, I
want you to know, I’ve been there.

Depression isn’t something we like to talk about in our
society. Mental health in general is a rather taboo topic, perhaps because for
those with no history of mental illness, it seems as simple as a change in
mindset. But depression is very real, and often very difficult to control.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

I’ve been suffering a bit of writer’s block lately, but not
for reasons you might expect. It’s not that I have nothing to say, but too
much. My mind is racing of late with ideas, snippets, small iotas of
information that I feel are worth sharing, but I don’t know how to organize
these jumbled ideas into any sense of cohesive writing. So instead of waiting
for it to all make sense, I’ll just share with you these tidbits and hope you
can string some meaning from them.

Part I: Quinn

Quinn celebrated his first birthday just before Christmas
and has radically changed before my eyes. There’s a moment that parents
experience when they suddenly look at their babies and wonder when they grew up
so quickly. I had that first moment with Quinn the other day. He’s just…bigger,
you know? He’s alert and responsive. He’s starting to become more mobile and
has found a way to wiggle himself across the living room floor. I won’t call it
crawling just yet, but it’s close. He’s responding to signs and interacting
more with us. He’s eating like a horse. Seriously, this kid can put food away. He loves to read books and actually cries when they’re
over. The first time I witnessed this happen, I thought it was a fluke or that I
had smacked his face with the stiff cardboard cover, but by the third time he
screamed bloody murder when the story ended, I realized it’s not from pain, but
anger. Clearly, he also has a penchant for the dramatic. But I can’t fault him
for it; he is my son, after all. And I’m immeasurably proud of his love for the
written word/pictures of cows.

Part II: Atticus

This kid is really blossoming into one of the kindest, most
selfless children I have ever known. I knew some of Brian’s personality would
show up sooner or later, but I wasn’t expecting it until well after puberty (boys
will be boys and all that). And that’s not to say that he isn’t wild at times.
He definitely has his moments where the world is falling apart because we ran
out of Goldfish, but for the most part we hear a lot of “may I please?” and “thank
you, Mommy” and “excuse me.” He also
loves his little brother. He absolutely adores him. Those two share a bond that
I never knew could exist in children so young, and when I pick them up from
school and they see each other after a long day apart, they both light up and
fall into fits of giggles. It’s a pretty special thing to witness. Atticus is
also a born entertainer. His dance skills are unparalleled, and he can chatter
away for what seems like hours. If you try to simply nod and say, “oh, really?”
and “mmm-hmmm” he’ll actually call you on it. “Don’t say, ‘okay’ Mommy. I
telling a story!” He demands legitimate analysis of his tales. While
exhausting, I know this will translate into something very special as he gets
older.

Forgive the abysmal quality of this video. I think you'll find it's still worth watching.